UPEI awards record number of degrees

The University of Prince Edward Island recognized more than 1,000 graduates at convocation ceremonies over the weekend, which is a new record.

The number of undergraduate degrees granted at UPEI continues to increase, while universities in the other Maritime provinces are seeing a decline, according to a new report by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.

The report looks at the five-year period between 2007 and 2012.

During that time, the number of undergraduate degrees granted at UPEI increased by 10 per cent. Nova Scotia universities saw an 11 per cent drop and New Brunswick had a 13 per cent decline.

"UPEI has been able to recruit a much larger proportion of P.E.I. residents," said MPHEC CEO Mireille Duguay.

"It has seen a tremendous increase in retaining the number of P.E.I. students, the number of programs that are offered at the graduate level, and then they've significantly stepped up their efforts in terms of international recruitment."

Universities in all three provinces saw an increase in the number of graduate degrees granted, but UPEI also led in that area with a 48 per cent increase between 2007 and 2012.